Celine
by chickenwriter
Summary: Clarisse misses Joseph terribly while he is away, until an unexpected guest from the past shows up to keep her company. But will it really be the company she’s looking for? Oneshot...ends at CJ.


Celine

Summary: Clarisse misses Joseph terribly while he is away, until an unexpected guest from the past shows up to keep her company. But will it really be the company she's looking for?

- - -

"Your majesty, someone is here to see you." She paused "I made you some tea." Olivia set down a teapot and two cups, and waited.

"Show this person in, then, Olivia." Clarisse was tired. She'd been a married woman for three months, and Joseph was away visiting his family for a week. He assured her she would not like the accommodations, so she had reluctantly stayed home, making her realize she would face a million cockroaches just to see him right now. He'd been gone for five days and three hours, and she could no longer stand it. She thought that perhaps this company would help the loneliness she was feeling.

"I present Ms. Celine Saporta." Olivia bowed, and hurried out of the room, not looking forward to this.

"Ms . . . Saporta?" She asked softly. _She has the same last name as Joe._ Clarisse registered. The woman in front of her was in her late fifties, and a few years younger than Clarisse, and she was very attractive. Her dark brown hair offset her sparkling green eyes. It was almost as if she were the opposite of blonde haired, blue eyed Clarisse.

"Yes." Clarisse gestured to her to sit, and she sat, looking nervous and trying to refuse tea, reminding the ex-queen very much of when she had first met her granddaughter Amelia.

"What can I do for you?" The woman did not respond, too busy looking over Clarisse and her possessions. "You are Joseph's cousin?" She guessed.

"No." She looked shocked, then checked her nails habitually. "I'm his first wife."

"Excuse me?" Clarisse rose, suddenly possessive of 'her man.'

"Did he neglect to mention me?" The woman asked nonchalantly.

"I don't think it ever came up, no."

"So I assume he never mentioned our daughter, either?" Clarisse could have died right there. It was bad enough to imagine Joseph being married to someone else, but now she had to imagine him having the life she had always wanted with him. The life she always dreamed she could have.

"No." Clarisse breathed, looking off into space and taking a seat. She thanked God for composure. If she hadn't practiced being cool, calm and collected all her life, she may have burst into tears. . .or viciously attacked the woman in front of her.

"Hmm. Funny thing." She pulled a nail file from her purse.

"Please. Help me to find the humor in this." Clarisse raised her voice a level, enough to snap the woman back into reality.

"You're prettier than I thought you would be." The ex-queen was taken aback at the statement.

"Thank you?" Her reply was made into a question. _Was that a compliment?_

"I wanted to come see how you were." She finally looked up and into Clarisse's eyes.

"Why?" Clarisse took on an incredulous tone she had learned from the very person they were discussing.

"Because I needed to see the woman Joey left me for."

"Excuse me?" _Joey? Could she be the reason he hates that name?_

"You heard what I said." Clarisse shook her head back and forth. This couldn't be happening. This was a dream. It was wrong. She had never come onto him, at least not until after Rupert died. How could he leave his wife and daughter . . . No. It wasn't true. Not Joe, he couldn't. Not the kindhearted man Clarisse had fallen for so hard.

"You mentioned a daughter." She spoke steadily, trying to get the information she wanted so badly.

"Sophia, yes."

"She's..." The woman finished for her.

"20"

"My god . . . " Clarisse mulled it over in her head. He had started to 'notice her' about that time.

"We were divorced fifteen years ago."

"Oh my god . . . He just left a five-year-old, a mother . . . I am _so_ _sorry_. I..." She rambled, before being trampled on by the woman's harsh words.

"You are right to apologize."

"You can't possibly think_ I_ had anything to do with this!" Clarisse stood again. "I did nothing to attract him. I promise you."

- - - -

"He really loves you."

"Excuse me?" Clarisse was pulled out of thought, Celine hadn't spoken in ten minutes.

"I can see it in the picture." The picture that sat on Clarisse's desk was from their wedding. Andrew took a few shots in the garden after the ceremony that was supposed to be his own. "In his eyes."

"Hmm." Clarisse looked lovingly at the photograph. Her very soul ached with missing him, even though she had talked to him this morning for at least an hour.

"He never looked at me like that." Celine looked at Clarisse, softer somehow, perhaps thinking about her own misfortunes.

"I'm sorry."

"What's it like, being so in love?" She rubbed her hand across the mug in her hand, her voice had transformed into one that was pleasing and wistful.

"Wonderful." Clarisse breathed, reaching out and running her fingers over the photo. "He's been gone five days, and three and a half hours." She smiled. "I really miss him."

"I never felt that, for anyone."

"I never thought I would. It rips my heart out, but it's so beautiful at the same time." She darkened, "How did you move on?"

"I cried every night for a week, then I packed up and moved to L.A. Sophia started school and we never looked back. It . . . worked, in a way."

"What did he say to you, what grounds did he leave on?" Clarisse couldn't understand why he would leave his family behind so easily.

"His exact words were 'I can't love you anymore.' Then he told me about you. His mistress that wasn't a mistress. The woman he devoted his heart to but was off limits. I never thought he could do that to us."

"I can't even imagine." Clarisse heard the door to her suite open and close. Footsteps of all too familiar shoes followed. "Is it . . . ?" She sprang up and went running to the door. She didn't think she could move that fast. She flew through the doors of her suite and immediately into his arms. Everything she had just heard was erased from her mind with his gentle kiss to her head. "Joe . . . " She whispered, burying her now tear stained face in his shoulder as he held her off the ground.

"Oh my darling. I missed you so much." He whispered back. "My. God." Behind Clarisse, who moved next to her husband with his arm wrapped protectively around her, stood Celine, smiling at Joe.

"Celine." He nodded.

"Joey." The way she giggled made Clarisse sick. She tightened her grip on Joe, wrapping her hand in his. But his eyes were on Celine.

"How is Sophie?"

"Twenty. In college, going to be an actress. She's wonderful."

"Just like her mother." He added wistfully, making Clarisse stir slightly.

"But she looks like you. And it kills me, Joey."

"I'm really sorry I hurt you. Both." He spoke after a long silence, a silence where he had never taken his eyes off Celine.

"Thank you."

"Well!" Clarisse squeezed Joseph's hand, "Hasn't this been fun?!" She smiled and looked at Celine. "Dear, if you wouldn't mind, I'd like to be with my husband."

"Of course. Thank you, and it was . . . " She breathed "nice . . . to see you Joey."

- - -

"No." She threw his hands off of her in a rage.

"Clarisse." He wrapped his arms around her, pulling her close.

"Don't touch me." She spoke softly, throwing his arms once again from her waist. "Why didn't you tell me about her?" Perhaps if he hadn't looked at her the way Clarisse missed being looked at, if he hadn't sounded so happy to see her, if he hadn't stared into her eyes the way he looked at Clarisse. She wouldn't have cared as much. The topic could have been dropped, but now she was angry and jealous of this woman left unmentioned.

"It never came up." He defended himself, desperately wanting to kiss her at this moment.

"You never told me you had a daughter!" Her voice rose, shaky.

"What was I supposed to do, Clarisse? Just bring it up over dinner? 'How's the salad, my darling? Oh by the way, I have a daughter.'?"

"Well, it would have been a start." She scoffed.

"What does it matter anyway? We're divorced."

"Yes, because of me." Joseph froze.

"She told you." He coughed nevously, trying to make sense of why this happened to him now.

"Yes. She did." Clarisse walked across the room, looking out the window, then turned back dramatically. "How could you do that? To your wife, to your daughter?"

"I was in love with you. I couldn't get you out of my mind."

"We never, I didn't . . . "

"I know. Clarisse, I know. But when Celine spoke, when we kissed, when we made love, all I saw was you."

"That doesn't make sense!" Clarisse's voice rose again.

"It makes perfect sense. I've always loved you, and now we're together. I shouldn't have an ex-wife, or a daughter. This is how it's supposed to be."

"But you do! You do have an ex-wife, a daughter. A daughter!"

"I know. I know I do, I feel horrible about leaving Sophia, and leaving Celine, but in my mind it was right. Even if I did wait almost twenty years for you."

"What's right about this, Joseph? There is nothing right about this!"

"Everything is right, about this. I love you!"

"Joseph . . . "

"Please Clarisse, I made my choice, don't make me feel worse about it. Please."

"I just can't believe that you of all people . . . " He ran over her words, trying to defend himself.

"How is this any different then what Philippe did to Helen and Mia?"

"Philippe had an obligation to fulfill."

"It's not different."

"Yes, it is, he had to . . . "

"Clarisse." He admonished, trying to make her realize that what her son had done was not far from what he had done himself.

"Oh . . . " She straightened her jacket, and fought the urge to sit down. She was still infuriated, but knew there was no way she could stay mad at this man she loved so much. "Joseph, I'm sorry, I overreacted, but you still should have told me."

"I know, I know I should have. I'm sorry, too. I love you."

"I love you, too." She wrapped her arms around him in a hug she had long awaited. After a long pause she spoke aloud. "Kiss me." He obligated fully, kissing her again and again, until all her pain of being lonely for so long was gone. "I missed you."

"I missed you, too. That's why I came back early."

"Let me come with you next year when you go."

"Clarisse, you won't enjoy yourself, we stay in my parent's house, there are bugs, it's . . . "

"I'd miss you too much if you left me here again. Please, let me go. I won't be any trouble."

"All right. But only if you grant my two requests."

"What are they?" She asked, her eyebrows raising.

"One, tell me why this bothered you so much." His hand was lightly rubbing down her arms, and they were whispering.

"Perhaps because you didn't share everything with me, or maybe because my father left us for a mistress when I was very young."

"I'm sorry." He hadn't known that last part.

"Thank you, now what is request number two?"

"Make love to me, Clarisse." He whispered in her ear, causing a shiver to go up her spine.

"Oh, I don't know." He pretended to look shocked, and she giggled softly. "Well, if that's what it will take, I suppose we could arrange something." He laughed and took her in his arms. "Oh, Joseph, please, don't ever leave me lonely like that again."

"I promise I won't. I missed you far too much." His hand stroked through her hair softly, and he pressed his lips to her temple.

"Mmm . . . " She mumbled, wrapping her arms around him and kissing him softly. "Now . . . let's see what we can do about this deal . . . "

"I've got a couple of ideas." He laughed. "Like let's shut the door." With the door shut behind them, they fell into each other's arms once again. With the power of his security training, he lifted her into his arms, carrying her to the bed. He set her down gently, covering her with his body and kissing her lavishly once again.

Her hand melded onto his, lacing their fingers together. He reached for the buttons on her blouse, undoing one, two and three, revealing the lace beneath it. He had missed this lace. The very lace he had purchased her secretly for her birthday. The very lace she had been so embarrassed about wearing.

He made a point of kissing every inch of her exposed skin. With skillful hands he undid the remaining buttons on her blouse, as she worked on the buttons on his ever-present black shirt. He moved up to kiss her neck again, nibbling on and tasting her flesh."I. . . love you, Joseph." She whispered softly in between kisses.

"I love you . . . too." He met her lips again, then looked into her eyes. "God, Clarisse, I missed you. I'll never leave you again, I promise." He spoke so fast she had to keep from laughing.

"Thank you." Clarisse smirked and kissed his head softly. "We had a deal." She scolded him, running her hands across his back. "And I intend to see it through."

"How could I forget?" He smiled back.

A/N: This story has been going on FOREVER. AND I'M FINALLY DONE! I hope you like it! Reviews for Sammi?


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